Chris (and Paul), for what it's worth, yes, the Description column is set to fill the remaining width of the window. That is simply how the GnuCash register works, and that is how it has ALWAYS worked.
People (myself included, 19 years ago) have complained about this idiosyncratic behavior, but no one has put in the time to code a different behavior. If you or anyone else wanted to fix this, by all means, the user base would support it. Me? I've just come accept it as part of The GnuCash Way. @Paul: when you do as I advise, the Description column snaps back-- but it leaves the remaining columns (all the way out to the Balance column) intact and on screen, which is what I thought you wanted in the first place? David T. On Nov 5, 2025, 9:46 PM, at 9:46 PM, Chris K <[email protected]> wrote: >It appears to me that the Description column width can only be reduced >to the point that all the columns fill the window, otherwise it snaps >back so that all the columns fill the window, as you say. However, ff >you want to make one of the other columns wider first, e.g Transfer, >then you can reduce the Description column so all columns then fill the > >window again with a narrower Description column. > >On 05/11/2025 16:04, Paul Kinzelman wrote: >> On 11/5/2025 8:34 AM, [email protected] wrote: >>> Did you in fact click and drag the right side of the Description >>> column to the left and then release? >> Yes, and it snaps back. If I drag it to the right it stays and moves >> the Transfer and the >> rest of the columns off the screen to the right. I can't seem to >> shrink the Desc >> column by dragging the right side to the left. >>> >>> Are you looking at the *Guide* for section 2.3.5? Did you click the >>> link i provided? >> I saw what you sent me, but as you said, it's not very clear. >> But I also wanted to find it in the documentation. Oh I see it's in >> the Guide, >> not in the Manual where I was looking. >> But I still can't download them. The section says "Downloads" so I >> figured >> there would be a way to download it. >>> >>> David T. >>> >>> On Nov 5, 2025, 7:46 PM, at 7:46 PM, Paul Kinzelman >>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> On 11/4/2025 10:00 PM, [email protected] wrote: >>>>> Keep the replies on the list, please. >>>> Sorry, it looked like you replied to just me so I replied thusly >too. >>>>> 2.3.5 is at >>>>> >>>> >https://www.gnucash.org/docs/v5/C/gnucash-guide/basics-running-gnucash.html#basics-register2 > >>>> >>>>> First question: why are you double clicking the Withdrawal column >to >>>>> resize the Balance column? >>>> I'm just trying various things to figure out how the column sizing >>>> works. >>>> Your hint about clicking on the column header from right to left is >>>> very helpful and not at all obvious to me. I was just completely >>>> confused. >>>>> Second: Doesn't your screen have a scroll bar along the bottom of >the >>>>> register window? >>>> Yes. Duh! That was dumb of me. So I can see the rest of the >balance, >>>> but >>>> then when I scroll right, >>>> I lose part of the date even as the Description is huge so there's >no >>>> reason to lose anything. >>>> The Description column is not being shrunk. >>>>> Third: Others have noted that resizing columns works best from >right >>>>> to left: double click the balance heading, followed by Withdrawal, >>>>> Deposit, etc. The final step is to grab the *right* edge of the >>>>> Description column and drag it fully to the left and release. The >>>>> Description column will then fill up the remainder of the window >>>>> width. (For the record, the Note does describe this process, just >a >>>>> little cryptically). >>>> When I do that, I get reasonable sizes for each column from >Transfer to >>>> >>>> Balance, but it doesn't >>>> shrink the Description to fit the window so I get a scroll bar and >have >>>> >>>> to move around. If I maximize >>>> the window then I do get all the columns displayed without a >scrollbar. >>>> Thank you. But I still can't shrink the window less than the entire >>>> screen without losing the end >>>> columns and getting a scroll bar. It should shrink the Description >to >>>> fit according to your directions. >>>> But what you told me does help, thanks! >>>> It does seem like it'd be easier and much less confusing to just >have >>>> users >>>> move the columns where they want and have them stay put. >>>> >>>> And about documentation... >>>> How do I get to 2.3.5? >>>> Again, when I go to Support | Documentation | Table of Contents | 2 >>>> it goes to only 2.2 and when I go thru the pages of chapter 2, I >get: >>>> 2 >>>> | Next | 2.1 | Next | 2.2 | Next 3.1 >>>> >>>> And when I go to Downloads | Documentation I don't get anything to >>>> download, it goes to the >>>> same place as Support | Documentation >>>> >>>>> David T. >>>>> On Nov 5, 2025, at 9:46 AM, Paul Kinzelman ><[email protected]> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> I can't find 2.3.5 >>>>> Going to the documentation either download or support, I >can't >>>>> download, all I can do >>>>> is page by page and Ch 2 ends at 2.2 and when I go Next, it >goes >>>>> to chapter 3. >>>>> What am I doing wrong? >>>>> >>>>> I tried your note but the windows still act weirdly. >>>>> >>>>> With even almost the whole screen width >>>>> (and also even with the window maximized), >>>>> I see only 1/2 the balance column. >>>>> Then when I double-click the Withdrawal, >>>>> that column gets wide enough, but it shrinks the Balance so I >see >>>>> only 1/2 of the column. When I click on Balance, I now see >the >>>> whole >>>>> thing only if the window is maximized. If I shrink >>>>> the gnucash window to be less than maximize, >>>>> I lose 1/2 the Balance column. I can see it trying to expand >>>>> automatically >>>>> like you said in your reply, >>>>> but it's really not doing the right thing if the window isn't >>>>> maximized. >>>>> >>>>> Why not just allow the user to move the columns around >wherever >>>>> they want? Wouldn't it be more intuitive as well as >>>>> the code would be a lot easier to write too? >>>>> >>>>> I like to balance my statement against gnucash and display >them >>>> both >>>>> on the laptop screen so I can't really maximize it. >>>>> >>>>> Thanks for your help! >>>>> >>>>> On 11/4/2025 8:10 PM, [email protected] wrote: >>>>>> Apparently, you didn't read 2.3.5, which includes the >following >>>>>> note: >>>>>> >>>>>> Note >>>>>> In the register windows, you can resize the various columns >that >>>>>> GnuCash displays, but keep in mind that the Description and >>>>>> Balance columns behave differently from other columns. >>>>>> >>>>>> The Description column is designed to expand automatically >to >>>>>> fill all unused horizontal screen space. Therefore you >should >>>> set >>>>>> the widths of all your other columns before setting the >>>>>> Description column width. >>>>>> >>>>>> The Balance column must be resized by double-clicking on the >>>>>> column heading. >>>>>> >>>>>> David T. >>>>>> On Nov 5, 2025, at 4:44 AM, Paul Kinzelman >>>>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Sunfish62: I looked in chapter 2 and it's about"Using >this >>>>>> Document & Getting Help" >>>>>> I didn't see any column sizing stuff in there. >>>>>> Chapter 4.3 seemed more relevant but I couldn't find >>>> anything >>>>>> there either. >>>>>> >>>>>> David: Double-click enlarges the column which is good >and >>>>>> shrinks the Description >>>>>> but still when I drag the vertical bar on the left of >>>>>> "Transfer" to the left it snaps back to where it was. >>>>>> When I drag the vertical bar on the right of "Transfer" >it >>>>>> stays put, but the >>>>>> vertical bar on the left of "Transfer" snaps to the >right >>>>>> also when it shouldn't move. >>>>>> Something is very weird about resizing. >>>>>> >>>>>> On 11/4/2025 9:31 AM, David Carlson wrote: >>>>>>> What happens if you double click the title of any of >the >>>>>>> amount columns? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Tue, Nov 4, 2025 at 10:16 AM Paul Kinzelman >>>>>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Im running the updated 5.13 release but it happened >>>> with >>>>>>> older ones too. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I can't get the ledger columns to resize properly. >>>> Works >>>>>>> the same way >>>>>>> with both one and Double Line view. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> The Description field is huge, and when I try to >drag >>>>>>> the left side of >>>>>>> the Transfer column over to shrink the Desc, all >the >>>>>>> columns Transfer and to >>>>>>> the right drag over to the left, but when I click >to >>>> put >>>>>>> them down, >>>>>>> they snap back to where they were. I can't shrink >the >>>>>>> Desc column. >>>>>>> And then several of the columns are too small >>>>>>> to see. If I drag the left side of Balance to the >left, >>>>>>> it gets larger, but >>>>>>> then Withdrawal becomes too small to see. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Suggestions? >>>>>>> Thanks! >>>>>>> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>> gnucash-user mailing list >>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>> To update your subscription preferences or to >>>> unsubscribe: >>>>>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user >>>>>>> ----- >>>>>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your >replies. >>>>>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or >Reply-All. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> David Carlson >> >> _______________________________________________ >> gnucash-user mailing list >> [email protected] >> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: >> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user >> ----- >> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. >> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list [email protected] To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. 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